Everybody talks about their desert island soundtrack. But what about desert island kitchen tools? We took the question to a survivalist for some very honest answers.

What kitchen gear would you want with you on a desert island? The question came up for the Epi staff in a recent meeting. There was talk of expensive blenders and Big Green Eggs until the conversation shifted. No, really, somebody said. What if you were really stranded?

I gave Creek a hypothetical situation: if you were trapped on an actual desert island, what are the kitchen tools you'd take with you? He didn't even have to think about it. “What we eat out in the wilderness isn’t about taste or looks,” he said. Instead, it's all about survival.

Here are the six tools he recommended.

Meet the Epicurious Castaway Cook.

Illustration by Tommy Werner

A Metal Salad Bowl

In our cushy office tower, the Epi Test Kitchen leans on giant metal mixing bowls for mixing salads, whisking baked goods, and melting chocolate. In the wild, they’d make the difference between life and death. Metal is light and conducts heat well, making it useful for quickly boiling water. “It’s not the most exciting tool, but I’ll tell you what: there’s nothing we take for granted more than a container in our everyday lives,” says Creek. And let’s be real: could you really melt chocolate using a palm tree bowl?

The sun, the beach, the fresh seafood—being stuck on a desert island could have its perks. But to actually catch that fish, you'll need a spear (or gig, as Creek calls it). That's where a grill fork (that long, trident-looking fork that came with your grill kit) comes in. It's usually used for piercing large cuts of meat, but you're going to use it to spear fish (Creek suggests sharpening the fork on sandstone first.) Note: This may be the only case where a grill fork is actually useful.

The castaway cook doesn't use olive oil for just cooking.

Illustration by Tommy Werner

A Plastic Bottle of Vegetable Oil

Some kitchen fats can last up to a month as candles or rudimentary tiki torches, like Crisco, which can make a 30-day candle. To make one of these oil torches, take a wad of palm fibers from a palm tree and cram them into the split end of a stick. Douse with oil and ignite the fibers to light a shelter, or, if you’re a real pro, wade out into water at nighttime and use the light to spot sleeping fish. "That's the best time to go fishing," says Creek.

And when you're out of oil, put the bottle to use: cut the plastic bottle in half and leave the cap on. Slit the sides of the bottle vertically and fold those sides open like a flower. Burrow the top of the bottle capside-down in the sand. That’s your collector cup. With how common pop-up storms on islands are, this water collector has so much more surface area than just leaving the bottle open without the cap on. “Imagine 50, 60, 70 of these stuck in the sand just waiting for the next pop-up storm,” says Creek, “Take a reed straw after a storm and go drink these!” Hello, open bar.

A Sheet of Aluminum Foil

The signalling mirror is a staple for military survival kits, and Creek claims it is hands-down the best tool for getting rescued. In a pinch, aluminum foil can make a great substitute. Some signal flashes can be seen up to 3 miles away by a plane, even by the light of the moon. So there is actually hope as long as you shine on.

Your wine glass might just save your life.

Illustration by Tommy Werner

A Wine Glass

No, the wine glass is not for a minerally white wine to pair with your coast-sourced clams. “Bulbous containers like a wine glass or the rounded top of a 2-liter bottle are going to be the easiest way to start a fire,” says Creek. Fill the bulb with water to focus sunrays onto flammable tinder, and boom—you've got flames. Plastic wine glasses work here (and are less breakable), but grab one with a stem—it frees up your hands for guiding the fire. Or, you know, playing with your volleyball best friend.